7 YEARS EARLIER:

The young master had only been training for four months and had already become proficient in fencing. His elegant movements made him elusive and his strikes and parries were quick and purposeful, mirroring that of a seasoned expert. The two combatants danced around each other, filling the grand room, adorned with rich tapestries and intricate chandeliers, with sharp clashes from their rapiers. The other students in the seating area watched in awe as the young prodigy effortlessly kept up with his instructor with a perfect blend of offense and defense.

The boy weaved a strike meant for his head and whipped his dull blade along his opponent's knee, producing a piercing snap that made him buckle. Reflexively dropping his weapon and collapsing on his unharmed knee, he suddenly found the boy's pommel mere inches away from his throat. Although he was in no danger, it was at moments like these that he was reminded of the boy's incredible talent which, in a way, terrified him to an extent.

"...I concede. Very well done, Master Kane." The man said.

The onlookers erupted into applause as the instructor rose to his feet and gestured for his student to join his classmates. Sheathing his rapier, as soon as Kane joined his peers, they began showering him with praise.

"Wow! You were amazing Kane!"

"Your footwork was impeccable!"

"He couldn't even tag you once!"

A faint smile formed on the young boy's lips as he allowed them to bathe him in compliments.

"It's all about staying on your toes and keeping your guard up until you see an opening. It's not hard." Kane responded calmly as his classmates continued to gush.

Another student was called up to the middle of the room and unsheathed his rapier. The instructor and student both dropped into their stances, eyeing each other. The man nodded his head, signaling to begin as the student immediately thrust forward.

The match wasn't nearly as awe-inspiring compared to Kane's match. The student, although holding out, lacked proper footwork and his defense was mediocre at best, the micro gaps allowing the instructor to tag him multiple times in the span of a few seconds.

Kane's chin sunk into his hand in complete boredom as the instructor practically bulldozed through every other student as they pushed themselves harder to achieve even a fraction of the talent that he possessed. The instructor went on to inform the others what they needed to work on but, as expected, he struggled to give Kane any valid pointers. Why would he? He was his best student by far, after all.

As the bell dismissed the class, everyone went to their polished wooden lockers and removed their sparring gear. They changed into their school uniforms which consisted of a white shirt, a navy blue dress jacket lined with gold and the academy's sword and shield insignia imprinted on the sleeve, and trousers to match. Walking past a rack beside the double doors, the kids routinely put away their rapiers as they made their way to the exit.

Walking through the set of large doors, Kane was greeted by a flock of birds dispersing into the sky. As his eyes adjusted to the morning sun peeking over the main building, he stepped out into the vast courtyard.

Oak trees dotted the area with a large fountain at its center. Spires towered over the field with the main building straight ahead, a majestic structure serving as the heart of the fine institution.

More royal and noble students from different sections of the academy gradually poured out into the courtyard. A cacophony of conversations quickly filled the courtyard. Kids of different courses, indicated by the slight variation in their insignias, navigated to their next class. Walking further with his friends trailing close behind him, they made their way to a series of interconnected buildings that made up the campus.

Entering the building, the halls were more compact with students. Beams of light filtered through the stained glass windows, striking the marble floors and elaborate woodwork with an array of dazzling colors.

Reaching their destination, basic radiance comprehension, they entered the classroom with students already in their seats. Instruments and artifacts of the same design were set on each table, awaiting usage. The trivial conversations in the room stopped the moment Kane stepped in, immediately replaced by awe. The boy deliberately took his time getting to his seat, savoring the attention.

Taking his seat, they waited as more students trickled in until the professor finally arrived wearing a black and blue robe.

"Good morning, everyone." The professor greeted. "I hope you reviewed the material from last week because we'll be building off of that concept today."

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Everyone murmured excitedly as the professor clapped his hands to gather their attention again.

"I see that all of you are very eager so why don't we get started? At your tables are cylindrical artifacts that are sensitive to radiance." He explained as the kids already began inspecting their artifacts. "Each of them has a meter that will display how much radiance is funneled into it. Using your knowledge from last week on how to manipulate radiance, your task is to imbue these artifacts. You should be able to fill the gauge by the end of the week."

Everyone began shuffling around the room, excited to show off their radiance pools to their friends. Kane's group got to work immediately. The kids around him clutched onto their respective cylinders, closed their eyes, and concentrated. Meager amounts of amber veins slithered down each of their arms, finding their way to the artifacts.

Kane watched as their artifacts began to give off a faint glow, their gauges slowly starting to fill. However, their shaky hands were an indicator that they were struggling quite a bit to fill it up even a quarter of the way.

Surprisingly, one of the students from an adjacent table managed to barely fill it about a third of the way. The professor walked over and noticed their progress, impressed as he cupped his goatee. The student began to tremble before she was forced to release her radiance.

"Did you see that, professor?" She exclaimed.

"I sure did. Your hard work is paying off. At this rate, you'll finish the project in no time. Don't strain yourself though." He responded.

Kane rolled his eyes, finding his classmate's excitement misplaced.

'Hard work? Please.' He scoffed as he picked up his artifact.

Almost immediately after making contact, the gauge ignited, rapidly filling to his touch until it was full. His friends around him watched in amazement as the gauge glowed brighter beyond what they thought was possible.

The professor and neighboring tables all shifted their gazes to see the royal leaning back with one hand on the back of his head while the other casually poured more radiance into the artifact. It buzzed with harsh intensity as the firm glass on the gauge cracked. The gauge shattered and the tightly condensed radiance burst through the opening in a chaotic whirlwind that made even Kane flinch.

Once the radiance had vanished into the atmosphere, the professor couldn't help but applaud his star student accompanied by the 'Woahs!' rippling through the classroom.

"Well done, Master Kane! As expected of a prodigy," the professor praised. "However, do try to take better care of school property."

The young boy carelessly dropped the smoking artifact on the table before leaning back in his seat, pleased with himself.

"I wouldn't worry," he assured with a smug look. "It'll hardly be an inconvenience for my family to replace it."

He closed his eyes and relished in the praise he got from the room. His radiant channels were always more developed than his peers and had a knack for fencing as well. He'd always grasp concepts faster and his radiance manipulation, although still rough, was improving at a rate that even the professors and instructors couldn't help but admire.

The time it took others to progress through hard work was almost insignificant compared to his progression. With the backing of the Yamato House, he had access to resources nobles, and especially commoners, could only dream of. He was truly the next generation's star.

PRESENT DAY:

Kane lounged on a bench within his estate with a book in hand. The ambient sounds of water flowing from an artificial stream and the occasional chirping filled the vast courtyard. Multicolored flowers bloomed within the perfectly trimmed hedges surrounding the carefully tended lawn that blanketed the area in a vibrant green. At some point, he became so engrossed in his book that he didn't notice the clattering of wheels against the stone-paved pathway growing closer.

A brunette woman dressed in maid attire, appearing to be in her mid-twenties, pushed a cart full of snacks toward the young master. It wasn't until she pulled up beside him that he finally pried his eyes away from the page to acknowledge her.

"You're late. How long does it take to make something simple?" He accussed.

"Forgive me, Master Kane. The other maids have taken the day off so today's chores and responsibilities have fallen onto me." The maid dipped her head apologetically.

"Whatever." He dismissed as she proceeded to set a bowl beside him filled with a variety of fruits.

"Will that be all, Master Kane?" She asked routinely, secretly hoping he'd send her away so she wouldn't have to deal with his snobby attitude for the time being.

"You're free to go." He shooed her away.

She bowed before grabbing the cart and wheeling it away. As she departed, a second figure came into view wearing a fur robe. Kane felt his presence almost immediately and looked up to confirm who it was.

"You're out here again?" The man asked.

"Oh, it's just you, father." He dismissed.

"You should be training. At a time like this, I'd have our Sentinel spar with you but unfortunately, he's out of town right now. Regardless, the Skirmish is in a couple of days and you have yet to make any kind of preparations." Rei chided.

"Are you implying that some low-class nobody could pose a threat to me?" Kane looked genuinely offended. "I've seen forest lurkers more competent than him."

"That's irrelevant. While your enemy is probably working hard to overcome his limits you're lounging around eating a bowl of grapes. It would be wise of you to prepare yourself for the worst."

"Don't give me that, father. You know full well what I'm capable of. There's no need to refine what's already been refined." Kane's words oozed with confidence. "I've proved time and time again that 'hard work' can never measure up to raw talent. In addition, we have numbers and the guild has already confirmed that he's not affiliated with any clan."

Kane popped a grape in his mouth as he turned the page. "I doubt a commoner could cough up anything valuable so when all of this is over, they'll be a Fiends outpost on that plot of land."

Rei narrowed his eyes. He'd been urging his son to prepare for weeks but the arrogant boy wouldn't budge. With his resources and skills, Kane was convinced he could easily win the Skirmish so any preparations would be a waste of time. As if lounging around wasn't already a time waster.

Rei turned to leave in resignation but not without shooting his arrogant son a look of forewarning. "If you're that confident, I expect a flawless victory."